Electric signal for steamboats



(No Model.) V 2 sheets-sneer 1.

' R. H. GRUSCHOW. ELECTRIC SIGNAL POR sTBAMBoATs.

No. 524,202. Patented Aug. 7, 1894.

G) Q o:

2 5 a vertical cross section of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT.- OFFICE- l i l* ROBERT H. GRUSCHOW, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FORfSTEAMBOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,202, dated August'7, 189.4.

Application fled January 30, 1894.

Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices forGiving Electric Signals on Steamboats, of which the following is aspecication.

My invention relates to devices for electric 1o signals on steamboats,in 'which a series of signals is operated by means of electric currentspassed through coils and armatures; and the object of my invention is toconstruct an electric signal which shall be reliable and unfailing inits work.

In order to illustrate the practical manner of carrying out theinvention, and to enable Y others, skilled in the art to which'itappertains, to make and the same, drawings are 2o hereto annexed andherein described, in which similar letters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views.

In my drawings,--Figure l represents a top view of my invention. Fig. 2represents Fig. 3 represents a detailed View of bar M, showing leversupport N. Fig. 4 shows view in detail of armature E. Figs. 5 and 6 showcross sec- Y tions in detail of push buttons.

In `my drawings a, a', represent electric wires or conductors leadingfrom a battery U shown in Fig. I of the drawings.

A designates a metallic plate, which forms the base upon which the wholeof my mech` 3 5 anism is built. Y y Upon base Ais fastened a number ofsets i of electric coils B, my drawings only show two sets, but I mayhave any desired number,

which lcoils B. are in connection with wires a..

C, C, are uprights fastened to base A, which serve to support strip D.

F., E, represent pieces of soft iron, preferably of the shape as shownin my drawings,

' they serve as armatures for the coils B. as

illustrated. These armatures are hinged in lugs e, e, which lugs arefastened upon strip D. l The armatures are further provided with thetongues e e.

Fzrepresents a bridge, also fastened to base 5o A; this bridge F isprovided with the lugs f. i f., which serveas fulcrums to levershereinafter described.

G, G, are levers, the short lever arm is rep- Serial No.4c98,5`33. (Nomodel.)

resented by g,the long arm' by g. The fulcrum of lever G is at f. Thelong lover arm g is provided with the perforation t' and also with ,thedisplay signal H, fastened to said arm at an acute angle.

K. K. are uprights, firmly attached to base A, in the position asillustrated in my drawings. 'lhese uprights K. K. are provided with ipreferably of the shape as shown in Fig. 3 of` my drawings. y

O represents an ordinary electric belt which is connected by wire withthe insulated bar L. Y P. represents a push button, and R is a rnetallicstrip connected by wire with the battery. The button consists of a pushbar p, the grooved base fr, the spiral spring s and the thimble S.

Fig. 5 represents a vertical cross section of y push 'button P. n

The operation of my invention islas follows: My electric signal iscontemplated to be used, preferably, O11 Steamboats, and it establishesa mode of communication between the officer f in Acommand of the boatand the engineer.` The battery may be placed anywhere on the boat. Thepush buttons are placed within convenient reach of the commandingofficer,

and the signal boxes are -placed so thatthey Y may beconveniently'observed by the engineer. The bell O. is also placed sothat its sound can be heard by the party pushing the button. The currentpasses from the battery through the wires a 0,', through the coil B. as

the button. The coils B af'e'ene'rgized by the current from battery U,one of the conductors R of which is connected by the binding post R tothe plate R that sustains the series of push buttons P, the otherconductor T being connected through the binding post T. to the carryingplate T which is supported illustrated and the circuit is closed bytheconnection formed by the metallic strip R and l on but insulated fromthe plate R. This carrying plate T is provided With a series of metalliccontact plates t which are insulated from said plate T to which they arefixed,

` and these contact plates t lie in the path of the endwise movablestems p of the seri es of push buttons P, whereby the rear end of thestem p of each push button,when it is pressed, is adapted to .makecontact with one of the plates t and close the circuit through theconductors a, a', so that the current from the battery U passes throughthe plate R, the stem p, the contact plate t', the conductor a', thecoils B, the other conductor a and the plate T back to the battery, it.being noted, by reference to Fig. 1, that the conductors a, a' are inelectrical connection Wit-h the plate T and the contact plate trespectively. When the coils B are energized in the manner described,they attract the proper armature E whichis depressed to bear against theheel or short arm g of the lever G, the other arm g of which carries thevisual signal H; and when this lever is turned it elevates its arm g andthe visual signal H, in order to display the latter to View, the arm gmaking electrical connection with a metallic bar L which is supportedabove the series of levers G and is thus common to all of the levers ofthe visual signal devices. This bar L is insulated from the base A, andto a binding post at one end of the bar L is connected one of theconductors o of an alarm signal circuit. This signal circuit includesthe audible signal mechanism, O, and a local battery O for energizingthe audible signal circuit when the latter is closed by the lever Gcoming in contact with theinsulated bar L; the other conductor 0 of thissignal circuit is connected to a binding post in which is pivoted orfitted the trunnion of one of th'e armatures E, the bearings for theseries of armatures E being in electrical connection with each other.When the connection is formed the coils B. are charged and theirrespective armatures E are drawn and held whereby the tonguev E ot' thearmature presses upon the short lever arm g, thus raising vanddisplaying the display signal as it raises the long lever arm g. As thelong lever arm g is raised the lever supports N, step out of theperforationsz', and under the lever arm g, thus holding the displaysignal in place until released. The small spring attached to the bar Mpulls the bar back so that when the lever support N steps out of the lperforation it must move back. One signal is displayed and stays in itsplace until the next signal is given. When *the next signal is tobegiven, and by a pushfrom the button, the long lever arm is raised bythe. peculiar bend in the lever support, the bar M is revolved forward,thus admitting the first lever support again into the perforation thusdropping the first display signal. The long arln g of the visual signalmakes electrical connection with the insulated bar L and thus closes thealarm circuit through said lever G, the armature E and the conductors o,o to ring the bell O in the audible alarm circuit.

There is a push button for each signal, but

if preferred I may operate two or more signals by one push button. Itwill also be seen that instead of having a display signal boX only withengineer, l may have one or more such boxes connected with the samecircuit in different vparts of the boat placed Where they are mostdesired.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isy 1. The combination with a series ot' magnets each included incircuit-With a push button and a battery and each magnet provided Withan armature, of a series of independent levers each carrying a visualsignal at one end and having its other end arranged in the path of thearmature of one of the magnets, a rock shaft common to the series oflevers, and ngers carried by said rock shaft to sustain each lever inposition when its signal is displayed, the rock shaft and its series offingers being so organized and controlled with relation to the series otlevers that an elevated lever and its signal will be lowered whenanother of the levers and signals of the series are elevated by theclosing of its respective circuit, substantially` as described, for thepurposes set forth.

2. In an electric signal, the combination of a series of levers carryingthe visual signals, a magnet for each lever included in circuitf with abattery and circuit closer and.

having its armature arranged to depress the lever, and a rock shaftcommon'to all ot' the levers of the series and provided with de- IOOtents adapted to engage With the lever when the signal is displayed andretain the lever in its raised position.

3. In an electric signal, the combination of a series of levers eachprovided with an eye and carrying a visual signal, a magnet for eachlever included .in circuit with the battery and circuit closer andhaving its armature arranged to act against vone end of the level', arock shaft M provided with the fingers N adapted to pass through theeyes of the levers, and a spring connected to the rock shaft,substantially as described.

4. In an electric signal, the combination ofv a series of levers eachcarrying avisual signal, a magnet for each of the levers, included incircuit with the battery and a circuit closer, and having its armatureadapted to actuate the heel ot' the lever, an elevated bar L common toall of the levers and arranged inthe path of the same, and an alarmcircuit including a local battery and an audible signal mechanism, andhaving its conductors in electrical connection with the bar L and thearmatures of the electro-magnets.

ROBERT H. GRUSCHOW.

-Witnesses:

JOHN O. KRAUsE, CHARLES F. GLAESER.

TIO

